Augmenting Industry Potential

The Jim and Janet Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation features a new five-story gateway building—equipped with future-focused classrooms, research laboratories, a public maker space, assembly areas, and administrative offices. The center is a scientific hub on campus where every SU undergraduate takes their core science classes. The focus on hands-on, experiential amenities will inspire the exploration of new technologies. Holmes provided fire and life safety code consulting to facilitate this pivotal addition to campus.

Holmes provided smoke control design for the building and worked closely with the design team and authorities having jurisdiction to accommodate its five-story atrium. Conventionally, building codes limit atria to three stories. Through alternate means and methods and performance-based engineering, Holmes designed and obtained approval for an atrium smoke control system that will safely protect occupants in case of a fire. This smoke control system was optimized to solely rely on automatic opening exterior doors for air supply, which eliminated reliance on mechanical ducts while supporting the architectural vision for the interior and exterior façade.

Beautiful wood furniture and stairways are located at the base of the atrium. The smoke control system was developed based on a worst-case fire scenario involving these key architectural elements. Procedural requirements were developed to allow these items to be located within the atrium.